Railroad controlling device



A. H. FOX AND A. W. LENDEROTH.

RAILROAD CONTROLLING DEVICE.v APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, I9I9.

1 37 1675' Patented Mar. 15, 1921 I i? s( Q. N .I N Q' w I 05 NJ N I. Lum

N I mi E Q I N Y IWII'IIII N gq, N I i --fb N' DTL I! i 4 IIII .D IIllIa-I N -I I #I l\ LS D N Jwefzvz; 9* $1 N' N my# W :u N @MaI/UQAM@ NI I UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUs'inN. H. `FOX, or New Yoan, AND ARNOLD w. LEN-annota, on STAPLETON, NEW

' YORK.

RAILROA) CONTBOLLING DEVICE.

Specification oi Letters Patent.

Patented Maiz'l, 1921.

- Application sied nay e, itissei-iai No. 294,418.

and useful Improvements in Railroad Con- 'rolling Bevices, of which the tollowing is a full, clear, and eXactdescription. p

ln a. number of patents heretofore granted to us we have shown and described railwayv signaling` or controlling devices in the form oi'. small boxes or casings supported back of a car wheel in close proximity to a track rail, and `more particularly in Patent No. L29/8,029, dated March 25,1919, we have shown an apparatus of thiskind in which a straight magnetic core was provided with .two movable feet or pole pieces which beingl similarly `magnetized tended tO repel each other and tonormally separate, but which by the attractive etlect ofthersteel rail were drawn together, the movements or" the feet due to attractive or repulsive eiiiects being utilized to operate suitable circuit control- Ylers, signals or other devices on the car or locomotive. v A.

Our present invent-ion is an improvement indevices of this class and has for its immediate objectspto provide a better and more eiticient form of apparatus lot this general character.V but more especially to secure a better and more dependable'action or operation 'et vthe working parts under such conditions as are likely to be encountered in general railway practise.

ln the forms of apparatus heretotore designed by us the parts have been generally so constructed and related that the car wheel formed part of the magnetic circuit est-ablished or maintained through the controllingmagnet and armatures, and this is one feature which in lour present construction we have sought to avoid. we use a longer casing, which is supported in iXed relation to the rail usually by connection with the equalizer ofthe truck, between the two lwheels of a truck, and which comprises. a magnetic circuit with a consequent centralpole and two end poles oir' the opposite sign, whereby the path tor the n agnetic linesfwill be .directly to and from the rail and the three poles ot' Vthe controllingdevice within the casing or its'walls.

.For this purposel Another feature or' improvement in the device upon which the present application is based is the absence of all stops to limit the lateral movement of the movable poles andV such construction and arrangement of the latter that'their relations to one another are not affected by the lateral motion Ot the car track. but only by the magnetic conditions ot the rail or armature acting upon the poles.

Other features of novelty and utility of vour improved mechanism will be more fully set forth inthe accompanying specication.

ln the drawings hereto annexed*- Figure l is a central vertical longitudinal section of the complete controller.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section ot' a portion et the device taken on a plane at right angles to that ot Fig. l.

.1. rig. 3 is a vertical cross section on line of Fig. l, showing also a section of a rail.

lha. l: and

Figo is a cross section on line 5-5 of Fie. l.

numerals are employed to indicate corresponding `parts.

lThe operative parts oit' the mechanism are Vcontained in an elongated cylindrical non- 'netic casing l which is designedto be imported by the projections o r ears 2 from the equalizer ot a car truck in close proximity to the track rail and between the two adjacentcar wheels. ris shown in Fig. 5, the

casing is designed to occupy at least as little, and preferably slightly less, space laterally 4than the cai' wheels 3 with which it may be associated.

lVithin this casing l are two coils ai, #i wound on a brass tube 5 to the Opposite ends of which are secured preferably by screw threads, semi-circular non-magnetic suinports 6 which rest upon pads or shoulders 7 at ends of the main body portion of the cylindrical casing. rfhrough the center of the brass tube extends a steel shaft or rod 8 into the ends of which are set brass or non-magnetic extensions 9 that at the right hand end being hollowed out to permit the passage of controlling wires 10.

rihe extreme ends of the brass extensions 9 carry the inner race ways of ball bearings ll, which are mounted in the semicircular end supports 6,v so that the coils and the central shaft or rod 8 constitute a single unitary struct-ure which may be inserted or ings.

removed as a whole from the casing. When inserted, plugs 12 of suitable shape are inserted and secured in the open ends of the supports 6 Vand into these are passed screws 18 which hold end caps 14 in place and thus form a watertight casing or housing for the device.

Between the brass tube and the central steelshaft 8 is a steel tube 15 to the ends of which are secured steel L-shaped members 16 which constitute feet and extending at Vright angles from these feet and fastened by screws thereto are light non-magnetic parts 17 thevends of which carry the outer members of ball bearings 18, the inner race ways- The steel portion of the central rod 8 eX- v tends out beyond the ends of the steel tube Y andto such portions are secured L-shaped feet 20 similar to feet 16, but extending in f opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 1, and to the upper part of the said feet are secured counter-weights 21. The'two counterweights, as shown in Fig. 2, interlock, and therefore actas stops to limit the motion of the feet secured 'to the s teel shaft and tube in their downward direction which tends to bring them into the same vertical plane. i ln all relative positions which they are capable of assuming, however', the feet are free to turn on the bearings 11, therefore no vibrating motion imparted to the casing has any noticeable tendency to separate these two concentrically.mounted members.

At one end of the device are insulated brushes 22set in the counter-balance 19 and theexten'sion 17, andthese bear on a commutator 23, Fig. 4, which is divided into four quadrants, the diametrically opposite quadrants being electrically connected, and the brushes being alsolelectrically connected in multiple, so that the brushes close a circuit through either pair of quadrants upon which they may rest. It is desirable that the insulating spaces between quadrants Vshould be of such Awidth relatively to the brushes that neither of the latter can span two adjacent quadrants in the operationof the device. l

When in use current is sent through the coil 4in such direction as to produce in the central steel bushing or pole piece 24 and the magnetic insert 25 in the casing upon which it rests a consequent pole, say of plus sign, and at the ends of the magnetic element Y poles of the opposite, say minus, sign. The feet 16 and 2O therefore,being the same sign, will tend to normally repel each other and to spread apart as shown byl'the dotted lines in Fig. 4 and thev arrangement is such that considering Fig. 4 for example, the foot 16.

swings to the right andV foot 20 to the left. Y

f This resultsin a movement of the lbrushes in an anti-clockwise direction and of the commutator in a clockwise direction, since the latter moves with the shaft 8 while the brushes move with the steel tube. The maximum displacement of the feet under normal conditions is approximately o so that when said feet are in the position'shown in Fig. 4 in fullV lines, one of the circuits through the commutator is closed and the soY other broken, but when said feet assume the positions shown in dotted lines these circuit conditions are reversed. In either, or in any intermediate position, however, it is manifest that both feet are free toturn about the bearings 11, and still maintain theirangle of separation.

InFg. 3 there are shown two light chains or cords 26, 27, secured to thesemi-circular y endsupport and carried around and secured to the central shaft and the steel tube respectively. These act as stops which do not llimit the angle of separation of the feetl but only the angle of oscillation around bearing 11, and thereby the transmittingV ofvibratory impulses to the feet and thus affecting ad-` versely the device. Y

d A ,tube 28 enters ythe top of the casing 1 and through it the necessary circuit wires are passed, and the other details ofA construction not specifically hereinbefore described will bev understood from the statement of operation which follows. y Y Y Y Itlias been stated that the device is supported between the wheels'of a truck in close and fixed proximity to a` track railj29. An

electric current is passed Yto coil-s 4 by wires 8l), 31, and a consequentp'oleestablished in the pole piece 24 and its extension in the kmagnetic insert 25,`tlie polarityat the free ends of the coils being of opposite sign. The

' magnetic path is therefore from the center to` each end and back through the rail te the insert 25. Under this influence the similarly magnetized feet mechanically balanced and(Y free to move will repel each other and assume the positions shown indotted lines in Fig. 4. The feet vwill be assisted'in holding this position by placing a magnetic bar 82 against the central pole piece 24 andvwill remain'floating, as it were, without causing any tension on the stop chains 26,27. In thisway a ,fixedvposition relatively to the stationary parts, as well as to each other, is

assumed -by the vfeet' 1G and 20, which is moreoverfree from all effects of vibrating action. I Y i Assumephowever, that a mass of magnetic iron be brought beneath the endsl of the separated feet, they 'will in moving `toward such mass, swing together, and will follow the massif it be moved laterally, within thc limits imposed by the chain stops, without spreading or separating and thereby operating the circuit controlling brushes and commutatore. rlhis would be the condition imposed by the passage of the device over a magnetic rail. Under these circumstances the two similarly magnetized feet may and practically do not assumeva true vertical position, but the center of their combined mass tends to follow the mass of the rail and if a similarly magnetized portion of the rail is presented to them so that they are suddenly subjected to a repulsive effect, they will always move apart and operate the circuit controller Whatever may be their position.

The length of the device and the distance between the two pairs of feet result in marked advantages in operation, as the frequently encountered breaks in the magnetic continuity of the rails occurring at switches and elsewhere, vmay be passed without affecting the magnetic elements, since one magnetic path is preserved unbroken while the other may be affected'by the passing gap. Structurally, in other respects, this device marks a long advance in the art. The dimensions of the controller casing render it possible to fully protect it fro-m stationary obstacles along the right of way. rIhe moving elements have less mass than any others, of which we are aware,.designed for accomplishing the same results. The action is quick and sure, and of such nature that the device may be applied and utilized in many ways and in various systems now known in the art.

lVith the method of use of this apparatus the present application is not directly concerned. yIt is manifest that the movement of the feet and operation of the circuit controller, for whatever purpose it may be intended, is secured by using at one or more points along the 'right of way, noirmagnetic sections of rail, or by magnetizing rail sections so that they will exert a repulsive, instead of an attractive. effect upon the feet. For this means for control the apparatus is peculiarly well adapted, as the passage of the device over a section of rail having the same magnetic polarity as 'the feet will cause the latter to separate instantly and positively. rlhese are all matters which are now known in the art, and further explanation thereof is not necessary herein.

IJVhat we claim as our invention is l. In a controlling device for railroad operation, the combination with an elongated non-magnetic casing adapted to be suspended from a car in close proximity t0 a track rail 0f two coils wound to produce a consequent pole at the center and two movable magnetic armature velements at each end of the casing of like polarity which is of opposite sign to that of the consequent pole, and adapted to be moved toward or away from the rail according to the magnetic condition of the latter.

2. In a controlling' device for railroad o1- eration, the combination with an elongated non-magnetic casing adapted to be suspended from a car in close proximity to a track rail, of two coils wound to produce a consequent pole at the center, and two pairs of movable magnetic armature elements at its ends of like polarity opposite to that of tie consequent pole and adapted to be moved toward and away from each other according to the magnetic condition of the rail over which they pass.

3. In a controlling device for railroad operation, the combination with an elongated non-magnetic casing adapted to be suspended from a car in close proximity to a track rail, of two coilsA therein wound to produce a consequent magnetic pole at the center and two like poles of opposite sign at its ends, two pairs of rotatably movable armature elements at the ends, normally repelled and spread apart by repulsion but adapted to be drawn together when passing over a magnetic rail, and a circuit controller operated by their movements.

Ll. In a device of the kind described, the combination with an elongated non-magnetic casing adapted to be suspended from a car in close proximity to a track rail, of coils therein wound to produce a consequent magnetic pole 'at the center, a magnetic shaft and a magnetic tube extending through the coils and each mounted to turn freely in longitudinal bearings, two ,pairs of magnetic armature elements secured to the tube and to the shaft respectively and a circuit controller operated by the movement of said elements away from a vertical plane due to repulsion and toward a vertical plane due to the force of attraction of the magnetic rail.

5. In a. device of the kind described, the combination with the elongated non-magnetic casing adapted to be suspended from a car in close proximity to a track rail, of two coils thereon wound to produce a consequent pole at the center, a solid magnetic shaft and a concentric magnetic tube extending through the coils and independently mounted to turn freely in longitudinal bearings, a pair of magnetic feet at the ends of the coils, one of each pair being secured to the shaft and the other to the tube, and a circuit controller operated by the separation of the feet on opposite sides of the vertical due to re- I pulsion vand the approach of said feet due to the attractive eifect of a magnetic rail.

'Y Y 6. In ya device of the kind described, 'the Combination with an elongated non-magnetic casing adapted to be Suspended rom'a car in close' proximity to a track rail, 'ci' two coils therein wound to produce a consequent pole at the center, afmagnetic rod or lbar and a concentric magnetic tube Lextending through the coils, and independently mounted so as to turn freely about a horizontal axis, two magnetic feet secured tothe ends n scribed, the combination with the non-magnetic elongated casing of two coils wound to produce a consequent pole at the center and poles at the ends of opposite sign thereto, oi' two'concentric magneticcore supports eX- tending through the coils and independently mounted so as to turn freely about a longitudinal aXis, two` pairs of feet-secured to the ends of the'core supports respectively, interlocking counter-balance weights carried by the feet, and serving as sto as to limit the movement of approach of said feet, and a circuit controller operated bythe movements of the feet due to repulsion and attraction tovan outside mass yof magnetic material.

8. In a controller of the kind herein described, the combination with an elongated non-magnetic casing of a magnetic element constructed as a single unitary structure adapted to be inserted in or removed from the casing and'comprising two-.coils wound to produce a consequentpole atthe center, non-magnetic end supports to which said coils are secured, armatures secured to concentric independently rotatable core supports extending through the coils, and adaptedto be moved by repulsive andy attractive'magnetic force. In testimony whereof we our signaturesrV V i AUsTnN n, rox. iinNoLn w. Lnnnnnorn.

hereunto aiiix 

